HaritGhostnet Campaign ‘Dive to Retrieve’
Ghost nets, otherwise known as abandoned or discarded fishing nets, or lost fishing gear pose a severe threat to coastal and marine habitats across India’s coastline. These nets cause stranding, strangulation, drowning and starvation of all marine fauna and flora. Ghost nets are exacerbating the marine debris and microplastics situation in the oceans. In a unique attempt to address environmental issue of ghost nets across India’s vast coastline, HCL Harit launched the ‘HaritGhostnet Campaign’. On 22nd April 2022, Earth Day under the theme ‘Invest in Our Planet’, a 3-day ‘Dive to Retrieve’ campaign was conducted off the Neelankarai coast, Tamil Nadu. A team of 15 experienced and certified divers worked with HCL Harit and trusted service partner Temple Adventures to retrieve ghost nets. The divers came from across India including Mumbai, Madurai and Pondicherry. Over the course of 3 days, the divers spent almost 45 hours collectively and retrieved approximately 300 kgs of abandoned fishing nets. HCL Foundation through HCL Haritprogramme aims to conduct more such campaigns in the future, regularly along coastal Tamil Nadu, and expanding to other coastal areas gradually. The team also plans to work with fishing communities and local stakeholders to create solutions for upcycling discarded nets and other marine debris and incentivizing the retrieval of the same to create a circular economy around ghost nets. Furthermore, over the last year, HCL Harit with the partners have retrieved over 57,000 Kgs of abandoned fishing nets floating off Chennai and Chengalpattu District coastal waters.